At the risk of alerting those investigators tasked with detecting even a hint of financial risk-taking on Planet Tennis, Andy Murray is looking a good bet to do very well again at this Australian Open after an uncomplicated win over the German teenager Alexander Zverev on the second day.

Murray has lost four finals here – but did splendidly to reach them – and has always reckoned Melbourne brings out the best in him. Certainly in many of the several long exchanges against Zverev on Tuesday, he hit a zone of calm and assurance, playing the sort of disciplined attacking tennis that lifted him to an end-of-season ranking of No2 in the world for the first time.